Number-wheel lock for calculating-machines.



W. L. DENCH.

NUMBER WHEEL LOCK FOR CALCULATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1908.

942,487. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. L. DENCH.

NUMBER WHEEL LOOK FOR CALCULATING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. s,1908.

942,487 Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

2SHEETS-SKEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM .L. BENCH, 0F PELHAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIOTT-FISHER- COM-PANY, 0F vIiI'E'W YORK, N. Y., A COBPORA'LION OF DELAWARE.

NUMBER-WHEEL LOCK non CALCULATING-MACHINES.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Application nle'a'mmh 3,1908. .S eria1No."418,978.

To all whom it imiy comm-n: Be it known that I, W LLIA L. Damon, 'a'citizen of the United States, residing at Pelham, in. the countyofWestchester and State includes a series of number wheels and -a masterwheel which is movable laterally to engage the number wheels insuccession.

1 he particular machine with reference to which the present embodimentof the invention is primarily designed is what'is known as the Elliottelisher combined billing and "adding machine, which includes in itsoranization a fiat platen typewriter on the rame of which is'mounted atotalizeror register including a series of number wheels, and. on thecarriage of-which is mounted a master wheel, laterally movable intocooperative relation. with successive number wheels as the carriageadvances, and rotated difierentv distances by the operation of thenumeral keys of the typewriter through what are known as differentialconnections. This arrangement-results in the addition of a series ofnumbers as they are printed in a column by thetypewriter.

The ObjQCbOfithe invention is to prevent the simultaneous operation oftwo number wheels 'in the event that a keyis struck while the masterwheel occupies an. intermediate position in its movement from one numberwheel to the next) To the accomplishment .of this object the machine isequip ed with a number wheel lock movable latera 1y with the masteractuator to en gageand lock successive number wheels,- The lock islocated in advance of the masters wheel and remains in lockingengagement withthe 'numberw'neehtoward which the actuator is moving,until said actuator has fully cleared the preceding number wheel. In theaccompanying draWings- Fi'gure 1' is a vertical sectional view ofso muchof a-n er my invention thereto. Fig. 2 isa plan view of certain elementsof the machine, the

edifierential operating mechanism for the master wheel bein omitted,'and the; front portion of the reglster being .m section to fwriterthrough suitable intermediate *di show, thegeneral relation of themaster wheel, the number wheels, and the number wheel. lock. Fig. 3 is adetail view showing the relation of the number wheels, master wheel andnumber wheel lock when the master wheel occu ies an intermediateposition in its travel fi em one number wheel to the next, and Fig. 4 isa detail view-of the number wheel lock detached.

A comprehensive understanding of the invention will be-.facilitated by asomewhat further description of the machine to which it is shownapplied." v The Elliott-Fisher billing machine is what is known tocommerce as a flat platen type writer A flat platen 1 is equipped ,with

tracks 2 upon which travels longitudinally tor line spacing, themachine, frame 3.'

In rear of the-frame 3 uponsuitable bra ck- I ets is a registersupporting bar7,onwhich is adj ustably carried a register 8 whichincludes, asusual, a series'of denominational members 9 in the form ofperipherally toothed wheels. These wheels are also known as numberwheels, since they either have numbers displayed thereon or communicatemotion to registering wheels equip ed with numbers exhibitedat a sightopening in the re ister casing. Thereglstershown is of the atter yp Thenumber wheels 9 are adapted to be operated by a master wheel or actuator10 mounted on the carriage 4 and movable therewith to engagesuccessive-number wheelsas the carriage/advances to present the printingpoint of the typewriter opposite the different denominational positionsof a column .of numbers being printed on the Work sheet.

The master wheel 10 is" rotated at different distance, to-wit from oneto nine increments, by the several numeral keys of theltyipeentialconnections indicated generally as 11. The entire organization as thusfar described is well known in the art and it need only be remarked thatwhen numeral key of the t ewriter is o erated to )rint a di it in agiven denominational position, the master wheel 10 will besimultaneously rotated to operate the number wheel of correspondingdenominational position, a number of increments corresponding to thevalue of the digit printed. Thus if the digit 5 is printed in thehundreds order of the column on the work sheet, the hundreds wheel ofthe regisnumber wheels of the register are closely spaced. As a resultof this the master wheel when moving laterally from one number wheel tothe next engages two number Wheels simultaneously at an -intermediatepoint in its movement, that is to say, while it is in the act of movingout or engagementwith one wheel and into engagement with the next. Itsometimes happens that a key of the typewriter is depressed betore'thespacing movement of the carriage has completely withdrawn the masterwheel IEI'OIlhil'lfi nuinber wheel just operated, in which event a falseoperation of one of the nu. u wheels results. To prevent the opera n ofthe number wheels under these conditions, 1 pro vide what may be termeda number wheel lock 1 mounted on, the carriage 4% close to the righthand side of the master wheel 10 and having its rear extremity extendedbetween two adjacent teeth of the'number wheel to the right of masterwheel, see Figs. 1 and 2. Preferably the end 13 ot' the lock 12 isdisposed close to the subjacent tooth ozt-tiie wheel engaged by it inorder to prevent any appreciable movement of such wheel. it issutlicient, how-- ever, that the lock be so located as to prevent anyeffective movement of the wheel,

to-wit one or more increments or units of movement, as less than thiswould not effect a false registration.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that when the master wheel 10 iin full engagement with one of the number wheels 9, the lock 12 will bein full engagement with the next number wheel to the right. If new thenumber wheel engaged by the master wheel is operated and the carriagereleased upon the complete depression of the key in the usual manner,the carriage will move toward the right and the master wheel 19 willadvance laterally into engagement with the ntn'nber wheel at next lowerorder. As the number wheel lock 12 is also mounted the one engaged bythe areas? engagement with two number wheels, one

ot' the number wheels is held against etfective movement by the numberwheel lock and therefore neither of such number wheels can be operated.

lVheiher a number wheel may be operated the instant the master wheelmoves out of engagement with the next number wheel to the left, orwhether it is locked against operation until the master wheel is in fullengagement with it is a matter of choice which depends merely upon therelative positions of the master wheel and. the lock 12. It is conduciveto high speed oi operation to permit one number wheel to commence itsoperation the instant all danger of the simultaneous operation of twonumber wheels is passed. I have therefore shown the number Wheel lock sospaced from the master wheel that the lock will release a number wheelthe instant the master wheel has moved completely out of engagement withthe next number wheel to the left. Obviously, however, the lock may belocated immediately adjacent to the master wheel so that a number wheelwill not be released until the full spacing movement of the carriage hasbeen completed.

The particular form of the number wheel lock or the manner of mountingthe same on the carriage is not material, the only requisites beingsutlicient rigidity of the lock to.

properly perform its function and move ment of the lock with thecarriage to advance it across the series of number wheels. In theaccompanying drawings the lock is in the form of a narrow metal bar thebody portion otwhich is in angular relation to the lower wheel engagingend 13 and to the upper horizontally disposed end or shank 14, whichlatter is screwed to one of the brackets 15 which support, the register0 crating connections. 'io lend rigidity to tie bar, a headed screw 16is passed therethrough midway of its ends and is screwed into thesupporting bracket.

It is thought that from the foregoing, the R A construction andoperation of my register wheel lock will'be fully understood, but I iwish to expressly reserve the right; toefi'ect such variations of theillustrated structure as may come fairly/within the scope of theprotection prayed.

\Vhat I claim is I 1. In a combined typew'riting and adding machine, thecombination with' a typewriter including a carriage, frame, and printingmechanism, of a register having a series of denominational members, amaster actuator operated by the printing mechanism of the typewriter,said master actuator being movable to engage successive denominationalmembers and adapted during such movement to engage two members at thesame time, and locking means movable with the including a carriage, aframe" and printing mechanism, of a register mounted on the frame andhaving a series of denominational members, a master actuator movablewith the carriage to engage successive members and operated by theprinting mechanism of the typewriter, and locking means, mounted on andmovable with the carriage to engage and prevent effective operation of adenominationalmembcr While the actuator is moving into engagementtherewith and before said actuator has cleared the adjacent member. a

In testimon whereof I affix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.-

WILLIAM L. DENCH. Witnesses:

' W. M. CARTMELL,

ERANDER B. SCHLEY.

